Wednesday, 1 August 2012

FEATURE: (Video) In the heart of the swarm - a look at professional Starcraft in Korea

As promised, I went right into the heart of the swarm (GOMTV studios in Seoul) to check out what all of this e-sports business is about. Enjoy.

TRANSCRIPT:

When you talk about professional starcraft, one place
immediately comes to mind: South Korea. As I was on vacation in Korea just the
other week, I thought it would be a shame if I didn't try to see some live
matches. While I've played quite a bit of starcraft, I really don't follow the
competitive scene. Nonetheless, I went down here, to GOMTV studios in Seoul, to
see what all the fuss was about.

The studio itself made a pretty lasting first impression on
me, it looked like the set of some futuristic TV game show, complete with
multiple impressive-looking cameras and live commentators. The players sat in self-enclosed little
booths that I assume were to minimise distractions and the action was streamed
onto a giant screen for the benefit of the spectators. Granted, it wasn't as
big as some of the huge stadiums I have people playing in, but for just
everyday qualifying matches It was really impressive to see a video game given
the same level of attention and respect as any professional sport.

I said before that I didn't follow the competitive starcraft
scene. I had some anxieties that I would be completely lost trying to follow
the games, but these guys made those anxieties completely evaporate. They are
Tasteless and Artosis, the English language commentators for GOMTV studios. When
I arrived at the studio I was given a receiver so I could listen to their
commentary, and I gotta say it was really spot on. For someone like me who knew
how the game worked but didn't know all the advanced strategies, their
commentary was incredibly helpful, insightful, and amusing. They really made
the whole experience for me.

The actual games themselves were on a level I didn't even
know existed. I crumble under the pressure of ladder matches played anonymously
from my own home, yet these guys were able to perform at the highest of their
ability while being broadcast on national television. Some of these clips show
some pretty intense high-stakes battles, with micromanagement so complex and
rapid that it felt like instinct to the players, but my favourite match was
actually this one, with JYP's Protoss facing off against Hack's terran.

As you can see, a lone banshee is fighting against a handful
of stalkers. Both of the players had somehow managed to destroy each other's
bases, and were desperately trying to hunt down the remainder of each other's
forces before the other. As both sides knew that they only had so few units,
every battle was intense and felt like it could be the last. Eventually, Hack's
banshee managed to save up enough energy to cloak and mop up the rest of JYP's
units.

Watching streams is one thing, but being right there in the
thick of it is something else entirely. Being able to see an intense battle and
actually see the expressions of the players as they react, as well as the
reactions of the other fans observing with you is pretty exhilarating. It was
really something to see fans (including some particularly attractive female
fans) lining up outside the studio to collect autographs from their favourite
players. Plus the studio staff gave us free Krispy Creme donuts.

I'm not really a fan of any professional sports, so I have
never been able to understand the fevor that sports fans exude when attending a
live match. 'Why not just watch it on TV from the comfort of your own
home?' I would think. But seeing a video
game played in the same fashion, as something that I can relate to and
appreciate has completely changed my perspective. If you are ever in Korea and you are a fan of
video games, you don't even have to be a starcraft fan, I urge you to attend
one of these events.

E-sports in Korea is a truly fascinating thing and it
gives me hope that I'll one day be able to turn on the 'sports' channel in
Australia and be able to watch exceptionally talented athletes engage in a
battle of the minds rather than a bunch of blokes in short pants running around
a field trying to thrust their faces into each other's arses.

Please enjoy the rest of
these clips, which show some highlights of the matches I watched.

Contact

About Me

Steven is an avid gamer who lives in Japan as an English teacher. Alas, he has the heart of a writer and kids himself into thinking he's a games journalist in his free time. He enjoys whiskey on the rocks, long walks on the beach, and talking about himself in the third person.